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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. tube — a container
  4. face — to confront
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pass — a permit
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. face — part of the head
  9. game — a match
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. root — of a word
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. root — the cause
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. face — to point toward
  21. root — of a plant
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pound — a weight
  24. vault — a safe

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com